Green Lantern: Gotham's Light
by Clownwithachainsaw
Summary: As the Green Lantern of earth, Barbara Gordon struggles to find a middle ground between her duties to the universe and her duties to Gotham. Part of the Justice Champions elseworld series.
1. Prologue to the Second Act

**Chapter One,**

**The Prologue to the Second Act :**

The passengers waited silently for the Gotham express train. The express trains were popular in Gotham for many reasons; first, there's safety in numbers and the crowds on every side offer a sense of protection. Second, parking was paid for through the nose. Worse was the car insurance; insurance companies in Gotham make a fortune off of trashed property. And then, of course, it was always clean and smooth, keeping Gotham's scum out of everybody's mind. It was also a landmark; the railway lines were built by Dr. Thomas Wayne, one of the city's folk heroes.

But today, the people would get a shock, and maybe begin to rethink the trains. They crowded along the edge of the platform, waiting for it to slow to a stop. It didn't. Eyes widened, and people backed away from the station as it soared past, not slowing down. As they watched the passengers inside the train screaming and pounding at the windows, the heard the eerie laugh of its captor.

The people crowded along the platform muttered in shock. Then they smiled, and cheered, and pointed, as a green bolt shot through the air behind the train.

Green Lantern caught up to the train easily and landed on the front car. "It's over Clayface!" She yelled. "Give up now!"

Clayface turned dramatically, sweeping his cloak. Basil Karloff was once a famed actor, until he was turned down for the monster role in the remake of one of his more popular movies, Clayface. He was asked to be on the creative team, but instead opted to pay the producer, director, and lead actor back for their insult by dressing up as the monster Clayface and killing them all.

"I think not Lantern!" He announced. "This is not yet the climactic battle, but merely the beginning of the second act! Look around you!" He gestured grandly. "The heroine has finally uncovered the malevolent mastermind behind the crimes! He stands before her, a suitcase of stolen money in his hands. What he plans on doing with it she doesn't know, but she is determined it ends here. But!" He held up a finger triumphantly. "The villain has an ace up his sleeve!"

He pointed and Green Lantern looked. As the tracks curved away, she saw something on them. She used her ring to magnify her vision, and she realized it was Jason Bard tied to the tracks!

"Yes, the villain had captured the hero's loved one!" Clayface cackled.

"Why does everybody keep assuming we're together?" Green Lantern yelled. "We aren't!"

"No matter!" Clayface said. "In moments this train will reach him, and the explosives I've planted will detonate with the impact! He and countless others will die unless you go rescue him! And in the meanwhile, I shall make my dramatic exit, and you will be forced to attempt to stop me at a later date!" He took a bow, and reached up. A helicopter intercepted the train's path and Clayface grabbed the bottom rung of the rope ladder dangling from it. "I will see you at the third act!" He yelled as he made his getaway.

"Not again." She gritted her teeth. She flew in front of the train and summoned a pinball coil from her ring. The train pressed against it and slowly lost its momentum. After what seemed like minutes to Green Lantern the train slowed to a stop.

She turned around and cut Jason Bard's ropes. "Do you think you could not keep getting kidnapped?" She asked as she helped him up. "You're not making my job any easier."

"Well maybe if you stopped acting all interested in me, these freaks wouldn't assume we're together and kidnap me in the first place." He said, brushing himself off.

"I don't – we're not – there are explosives in the train. Take care of them." Green Lantern flew off in a huff, in hot pursuit of Clayface's helicopter.

He saw her coming as the helicopter flew through the Gotham's buildings. "What do we do sir?" One of his henchmen asked, pulling him into the helicopter.

"Cover fire." Clayface said.

The henchman pulled out a machine gun and started firing at Green Lantern. She blocked it easily, and formed a megaphone with her ring. "I am a deputized member of the Gotham police department." She said. "This is your last warning. Land."

"She's still coming sir." The Henchman said in a panic. He turned around and a silver hammer shot out and cracked his skull.

"Damn." Green Lantern said as the corpse fell off of the helicopter. She scooped it up and dropped in off on a roof to pick up later. She flew straight ahead of the helicopter and created a laser gun, carving a circle in the glass. She popped it out, hitting the pilot on the head and grabbing hold of the ignition keys, tearing them out. As the helicopter started to fall out of the sky, she made a landing platform and lifted it onto the roof.

"I'm coming in Clayface." She said, taking a green crowbar to the door. She tore it open to reveal… the corpse of the dead henchmen.

She took a moment to process it. "No…" She flew over to the roof where she'd dropped the body. The body was gone. A note was pinned to the ground with an ornate dagger.

"_Good show Green Lantern._" The note said. "_But like I said, you're not allowed to find me until the third act._"

She heard his dramatic laughter in the wind and crunched the paper up in her hand. "Did you catch him?" Her dad, Lieutenant Gordon asked through the radio.

"No." She said. "It was Clayface. And as usual, he got away in preparation for a 'third act'. We haven't seen the last of him"

"We never see the last of him." Gordon said. "Nothing stays quiet in Gotham."


	2. The Guardian's Mandate

**Chapter Two**

**The Guardian's Mandate:**

Lieutenant Gordon was the head of the Special Crimes Units. It was the hardest job in Gotham, not only because every body wanted to kill him and his family, but because he only had a few men to work with, and he had to keep them safe and keep them clean. The hardest job in Gotham.

His second in command was Crispus Allen. A by the book man if ever there was one, straight from New York. His naivety to how things were done in Gotham was an occasional liability, but the city hadn't corrupted him yet. And it was good for the team to have somebody to dump their paperwork onto when they were too busy.

Harvey Bullock was rude, ill tempered, and ill kept. He had no patience for manners, criminals, women, or people who talked in the line at the doughnut shop. He had more contacts in the Gotham underworld than a dog had lice. But Jim Gordon trusted him with his life. And that counted for a lot in Gotham.

Renee Montoya was one of the few of the fair sex to command Bullock's respect. And considering that the team worked alongside Green Lantern this was saying something. She tended to think with her gun more than with her head, but Gordon had a feeling she could be one of the great detectives if she survived long enough.

Jason Bard was already a great detective. He had three of a detective's greatest assets; he saw things most people didn't, asked questions about the things he noticed, and had a knack for survival. His cane heralded from an unfortunate incident with a pair of concrete shoes. Nobody was not impressed that he survived that one with only a limp, and he occasionally gave seminars on how to escape impossible situations.

The last member of the team was Hardback. He earned his nickname because he was built like a brick wall but you would never find him without a book in his hand. He was one of the smartest men Gordon knew. Hardback was the proud owner of five PHDs, an encyclopedic knowledge of ancient and American history, a collection of pieces from disassembled bombs and a scar on his right hand from where he gave an uppercut to Killer Croc.

And then there was the unofficial seventh member of the team. His daughter, Green Lantern. He insisted that she not tell anybody her secret identity for her own safety. She agreed, but only for his safety. She was the best daughter he could have asked for. Technically, she wasn't a part of the team, but she insisted on doing things as legally possible, so Jim deputized her.

The Special Crimes Unit was formed to deal with the surge of supervillains in Gotham. Supervillains. Jim still couldn't believe it. A couple of years ago, he couldn't imagine anybody being more creative than the 'Gotham Reaper', but now they had to make new laws just to keep up with them. The S.C.U.'s walls were decorated with pictures of famous convicts, the Scarecrow, the Signal man, the Firefly, the Mad Hatter, the Riddler, the Batman, the Grasshopper brothers, the Outsider, the Wicked Witch, Clayface, Spellbinder, the Penguin. These were the types of criminals the S.C.U. dealt with.

The hardest job in the world.

But Barbara's job wasn't on the world. She had to patrol a whole sector of space. Jim couldn't imagine the pressure she had to bear. He wished she could avoid it, but she wanted to be a police officer ever since she was a child.

That didn't mean he couldn't lighten the load though, so after the incident with Clayface he brought some breakfast to work. Crispus and Renee were there. "Where's everybody else?" Jim asked.

"Well…" Renee bit her pen. "Jason's calling another sick day because of his latest near death experience, Harvey is probably at Doughnut Kings, and Hardback is at the crime scene."

Jim nodded. "Have you found anything that could give us an idea of what Clayface is planning?"

"Not yet sir." Allen said. "Jason's profile of Clayface doesn't give us anything helpful. So far, all we've confirmed is that he's stolen several thousand dollars right now from his crime spree this week. He could be in the Bahamas right now."

Jim shook his head. "Any other crook maybe. But most of Gotham's criminals have a flair for the dramatic. He won't leave town, not until his 'third act' whatever it is." He looked at the doors at the far end of the room. One of them, his office, had his name on it. The other one had Green Lantern's symbol. "Is she in there?" He asked.

"I think so." Renee said. "She's been up all night trying to figure out Clayface's plans."

Jim nodded. "Keep up the good work." He said, going into Green Lantern's office.

It was strange. Jim could never get used to seeing Babs' office. It looked just like a regular office, which was to be expected really, but Jim kept expecting it to be a bit more… alien. But then he reminded himself that she may be an alien police officer, but at heart she was a Gothamite. The only strange thing about the office was the green lantern shining from a shelf and the lack of any family pictures. Secret identities and all that.

Green Lantern herself was lying face down on her desk, soundly asleep. Jim shook her awake. "Good morning sleepy." He said. "I brought you some breakfast." He set the brown paper bag on the table next to her as she stirred awake.

"Mornin." She muttered. She reached for the bag and took out breakfast.

"You've been overworking yourself." Jim said.

"I'm fine." Barbara said. "You remember the last time Clayface started something like this? Five deaths. I think it's worth a little overtime."

"You're a superhero Babs." Jim pointed out. "You need to be at your best. You're not gonna be if you spend all night working."

"Relax." She said. "I've got it under control. I went to sleep at a reasonable hour."

"Babs, I think your standards for reasonable hour are a little skewed."

They stared at each other for a long while. The Barbara's ring blinked, and she had never been so happy for it. "Duty calls dad." She said, finishing off her breakfast.

"Well, be careful." Jim said. He always got nervous when Barbara went into space.

"I'll try to be careful as a policecop can be." She gave him a quick salute and flew out of the window.

Her commute took her to the very center of the galaxy. It would be a very long way, but fortunately her ring allowed her to travel vast distances at speeds that would make Captain Kirk jealous.

Oa was a magnificent planet. It was no Gotham, with it's dark spires and mysterious corners. It was like a sea of green, and the buildings were coral reefs. At first glance the planet-wide city seemed unplanned, but when you looked closer, you could see that it all came together in a spectacular fashion. Approaching the planet Oa through her green rings and past the glowing blue clouds that made up for the lack of a real sun, you'd find yourself fascinated by the planet. And if you weren't one of the Green Lanterns, odds are you wouldn't have the will to look away, which was both a handy natural defense and a stunning way for a Green Lantern to begin the morning.

Barbara loved the diversity she saw in the Green Lantern corpse. Nobody here made fun of her because she was a girl. Here, her best friend was a giant of an alien named Kilowog, and a starfish alien named Friaz.

Kilowog was the drill master for the Green Lantern corpse. He was the hardest teacher Barbara had ever known, expecting nothing less than perfection. Barbara had taken an instant liking to him, and the two of them began an unspoken contest to see which of them was the better.

Friaz was one of Barara's greatest friends in the corpse. She was a lot like an older sister to Barbara; fussing over her one moment and helping her take down and insectoid drug lord the next. Barbara had a feeling that she'd get along well with renee if they ever met, despite her being alien.

She had other friends within the corpse too, Ch'P, Salaak, Boudicca. But when she approached the orbular council chamber where the guardians met, a Green Lantern she'd never met was waiting for her. He was a tall stately alien, with neatly combed black hair and a fine mustache. "You must be Green Lantern Barbara Gordon." He said.

"Must be." Barbara said. "Ganthet wanted to see me."

"Indeed I did Barbara Gordon." Ganthet floated down to them. "You and Sinestro both." Ganthet was one of the Guardians of the Universe, the founders of the Green Lantern corpse. He was one of the few to develop an individual identity, and thus a name. He liked to keep a closer watch on the Green Lanterns than the others, and check in with them now and then.

"As ever, I am at your disposal Ganthet." Sinestro bowed.

"What he said." Barbara said.

Ganthet nodded. "Come, walk with me." He floated inches over the ground along a pathway through a garden. Barbara struggled to point out his conspicuous lack of walking, but decided to follow him wordlessly like Sinestro.

Ganthet floated through the garden. It was truly beautiful, a collection of flowers from almost every corner of the universe. Ganthet paused to examine an Afresian rose. "Green Lantern Barbara Gordon, have you met Green Lantern Sinestro?"

"I haven't." Barbara said.

"He has maintained a record for the most orderly sector, without even taking on a partner."

Barbara saw Sinestro's chest lift a little.

"I was examining your ring's records." Ganthet said. "Over the past few months, you have had increasingly less sleep. Your vitals have been stretching. I believe you are working yourself to exhaustion."

"I'm fine." Barbara rolled her eyes.

"Your ring doesn't think so." Ganthet said. "In fact, it thinks you're doing the work of five humans."

"Exactly." Barbara said. "I do the work of a dozen humans. I patrol my sector on top of my home planet. I'm a Green Lantern, and I was selected to be a Green Lantern because I can handle this."

Ganthet floated over to an ancient Mars fire flower. "Even so, there is a reason Green Lanterns have the option of asking for a partner. We do not choose Green Lanterns based off of their ability to stave off sleep, hunger, and other necessary functions. We choose them for their will to protect."

"And I can do it." She said. "I can protect my sector. Without a partner."

Ganthet observed her, then turned to Sinestro. "Sinestro, I would like you to train Barbara Gordon."

"What?" Both Green Lanterns asked the question in shocked unison.

"Sir I must protest." Sinestro said.

"Surely, your sector is in such a state that it can be spared for a week or two?" Ganthet raised an amused eyebrow, as if he were watching a child have a fit that they couldn't spend all night at the beach.

"Ganthet, I don't need training." Barbara said. "I've already been trained, just ask Kilowog."

"Kilowog is only a basic instructor." Ganthet said. "He taught you survival and basic skills. Sinestro will be teaching you how to manage your time and energies, how to handle desperate situations, and other useful skills garnered over years of experience." He took the two of them in. "This is my decision. And I don't believe there is any reason that you should feel disinclined to accept it." They both opened their mouths, and he raised a hand. "That is… any reason which would not be easily cleared by one of you accepting a partner."

He floated away to appreciate a small group of wild Gerbers, leaving the two Green Lanterns to stare at each other.


	3. Fanning Flames

**Chapter Three:**

**Fanning Flames**

Barbara and SInestro flew through space together. "So… most orderly section in the universe."

"Yes." Sinestro said. "I like order."

"As do I." Barbara said. "So… how long are you going to hang around earth?"

"As long as I have to." Sinestro said. "I do not know what Ganthet's criteria is for you being trained, but I shall do my best."

"Alright." Barbara said.

"Mat I ask you something?" Sinestro asked.

"Yes."

"Why are you against having a partner?"

Barbara considered it. "My world considers females to be… weak. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being in law enforcement like my father, but everybody told me that it wasn't the life for me to lead. I don't want to get a partner because I'm not weak."

"Ah, I see." Sinestro said. "Napoleon complex."

"What? No!" Barbara said. "I don't have an Napoleon complex."

"It sounds like it."

"What about you?" Barbara asked. "Why don't you have a partner?"

Now it was Sinestro's turn to pause in thought for a while. "My old partner passed away. I don't want another one."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you didn't kill him." Sinestro said. "Never apologize Ms. Gordon. Never apologize for anything you didn't do, and never apologize for your previous actions. They were the actions you thought were best at the time, and you acted to the best of your abilities."

Barbara looked at him curiously. "And what if your actions had unforeseen consequences?"

"All actions have consequences." Sinestro said. "You made a decision to the best of your ability, and if the action had consequences then you make amends. But apologizing is just a waste of breath."

Green Lantern didn't bother to argue with him. "Alright, well, when we get to earth would you mind calling me Green Lantern?"

He looked at her curiously. "I am a Green Lantern too."

"Yes." She admitted. "But I want to preserve my identity. Except for my friends, the people of earth only know me by Green Lantern."

"That." Sinestro said. "Is idiotic."

"No, it isn't." She said.

"Yes it is." Sinestro countered. "Why in heaven's name would you want to conceal your identity? People love a good figurehead to inspire them, but even more they love a hero they can relate to."

"I hide my identity, because I do dangerous work and I don't want any of my enemies to attack my friends and family." Barbara said.

"I thought you said your father was in law enforcement?" SInestro said. "He should be able to handle himself."

Barbara shook her head. "I also have a little brother. Listen Sinestro, I've made my decision. I'm asking you to respect it."

Sinestro sniffed. "Very well. It is a ludicrous idea, but I shall abide by your decision while in your sector."

"Thank you." Barbara said.

"Don't." He said. "We should at least be able to respect each other if we are going to be working together for an extended period of time. Is there anything else I need to know? How do you manage to maintain an alternate identity and work as a Green Lantern?"

"Well, I work with a group of heroes called the Justice Champions." Barbara said.

"Whose justice?" Sinestro asked.

"What do you mean?"

"If they are champions of justice, what criteria for justice are they following?"

"Most people on earth are like me, except without my ring." Barbara said. "With this ring, I am far more powerful than any of them. However, there are other humans on earth who are more powerful than normal too. Some are good, some are bad. The bad ones are too powerful for regular law enforcement on earth to handle, so the good ones like myself formed the Justice Champions to protect people from them and help the proper authorities handle them."

"I see." Sinestro said, staring at the passing beauty of the Andromeda system. "Well, with that in addition to your sector, it's no wonder you're stressed. We'll have to work on that."

"I'm not stressed." Barbara said.

"Of course you're not." Sinestro smiled. "Is that all you do during the day?"

"No." She said. "Each member of the Justice Champions makes a base in a city where supervillains - that's the bad overpowered humans I was telling you about – tend to strike. I operate in Gotham city, which is currently rated as the most dangerous city on earth. Also, I'm doing a course in university."

Sinestro was now very taken aback. "Ah… University means education right? How… difficult is this education?"

"On a scale of one to ten, people usually like to go for sixes, but I'm taking courses that would qualify between eight and nine."

Sinestro nodded. "Yes, we will have to work on the Napoleon complex."

"I don't have a Napoleon complex."

"Ah, is this earth?" Sinestro asked, changing the subject quickly.

Barbara turned her eyes forward. Earth was indeed looming up to them. "Yeah, that's her." She smiled.

"Well, let's get started." Sinestro said. "We can go to Gotham immediately, and begin the apprehending of criminals. I'll just watch for now, to see what you're capable of."

As they entered Earth's atmosphere, he radio beeped. "Who's that?" Sinestro asked.

"The Gotham Special Crimes Unit." Barbara said, hooking it onto her ear. "A supervillain must be attacking." She pressed the speaker button. "This is Green Lantern. Go."

"This is Gordon!" Her dad said into the radio. "Firefly is trying to burn up a jewelry store downtown."

"Firefly?" SInestro asked. Barbara saw him listening in.

"I'll be right there." She said, turning off the radio. "He's a supervillain. They all have names like that, just like I call myself Green Lantern. He's a madman obsessed with setting the world on fire and equipped with the latest pyrotechnic technology."

"Ah." Sinestro nodded. His ring supplied him with information on earth insect life. "Firefly. Colorful." He hung back. "I'll be watching from above." He watched her as she soared forward. _Earth is strange._ He mused.

* * *

The police had set up a barricade of squad cars around the street. The cars were now melting. "Beautiful." Firefly whispered. He walked among the flames, a fireproof bag of jewels slung over his shoulder. He'd melt them down later.

Renee Montoya ran long the roofs with a rifle. She positioned herself on the edge of a roof and aimed. "Where are you Montoya?" Bullock asked through the radio.

"I'm on top of the Club of Blood." She replied.

"That Goth joint?"

"Yeah. I figure if I take out those tanks of gasoline on his back…"

"You could blow the street sky high!"

"Can it, both of you." Gordon said. "Green Lantern's on her way. Montoya, if you have a clear shot take it and she can contain the blast, but wait for her to arrive."

"You got it." She said. She looked down the barrel of her gun, and Firefly was gone. "He's gone!" She yelled into the radio. "He's not in the inferno any more!"

"Does anybody have a visual on Firefly?" Gordon barked into the radio.

Montoya picked up her rifle and turned to leave the roof, then almost jumped out of her skin. Firefly was right behind her. "Hello." He said. "I like your gun." He raised his own rifle. "But mine's bigger."

Montoya dove out of the way and a green barrier erected itself in between her and Firefly. "Ah, Green Lantern." He said. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"And I was wondering when you'd get a clue." She said, the barrier fading back into her ring. "Even kids know not to play with fire."

"Well you know what they say." He said, readying his flamethrower. "When all you have is a match, everything looks like a barbeque. What are you gonna do, spank me?"

A pair of green fire extinguishers appeared at her hips. "Don't tempt me."

They made their move at the same moment. Green Lantern tore the nozzles off of the extinguishers and blasted him. He braced himself and fired his flamethrower at full power. His fire was quick and almost engulfed Green Lantern. But her foam spread quickly. Firefly began to back away, but soon the green foam spilled across, then over the edge of the roof. It filled the streets below, putting out the remaining fires.

"Impressive." Sinestro said, as he watched from above. "But you've decreased your own visibility."

A low rumbling was audible over the commotion, and suddenly Firefly flew out of the green. A quartet of moth-like wings extended from his jetpack, and a powerful and steady stream of flame ejected propelled him through the sky.

The foam faded away, as Green Lantern flew after him. Fighting Firefly was a tricky business. Flames came in many different colors, and she had to be careful in the event that he shot yellow flame.

They flew through the sky, clashing in the air. He warded her off with flames, but she was the better flyer. She steered him towards the edge of a building and blasted the supports off of a billboard. He didn't see it in time, and while he managed to swerve out of the way it hit his pack.

It exploded. He was knocked to the ground by the force of it, and Green Lantern picked the billboard up and put it back on the top of the roof. Then she landed on the street below, where Firefly was getting up. He took his smaller fire pistol out of its holster and grabbed a civilian.

"Stay back!" He yelled "I'll burn her!"

There was a slight thud as Sinestro landed next to him. "No, I've seen enough."

He turned his gun on him. "Who're you?"

Sinestro grabbed his gun arm and shifted it upwards as he pulled the trigger, shooting fire harmlessly above them. He moved in and delivered a solid punch to the gut. Firefly staggered back, and Sinestro delivered a devastating uppercut to the head, knocking his helmet off. His matted hair fell over his face, and he collapsed unceremoniously onto the ground.

"My name is Sinestro." He said. "And you talk way too much."

Later, Harvey Bullock tossed him into a police van and drove him to Arkham. Commissioner Gordon walked up to Sinestro. "Pleased to meet you." He said, offering his hand. "I'm Commissioner Gordon, head of the Gotham Special Crime Unit."

Sinestro ignored the hand. "I am Sinestro, Green Lantern of the most orderly sector in the galaxy. The Guardians have deemed it necessary that I help… your Green Lantern of earth, into becoming the best she can be."

"Well, what do you think?" She asked.

He stroked his chin. "You did well… better than I was expecting. But is it some kind of earth custom to joke around with murderers?"

She smiled. "I was giving Montoya time to get out of the firing line." She said. "Besides, the criminals in Gotham have a flair for the dramatic."

Harvey Bullock ran up to them. "I just got here." He said. "Anything I can do?"

Everybody except Sinestro stared at him. "Clayface." Green Lantern muttered, clenching her fist.

* * *

The police van had changed its license plates, and its markings had fallen off. Harvey Bullock chuckled in the driver's seat, then tore off his face, revealing the horrible golden mask of Clayface. "How're you doing back there?" He asked his passenger.

"Clayface?" Firefly asked, pressing against the grill. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on a little bit of a recruitment drive." The villain said. "You used to work in a movie studio, correct? I'm in need of a pyrotechnics director."

Firefly smiled. "I reckon I can help you there." He said. "Who else do you have?"

Clayface smiled under his mask. "What every good horror movie needs." He said. "Some special effects, some good publicity, and a real good monster."


	4. Showmanship

**Chapter Four:**

**Showmanship**

That night, Jim Gordon made his special tortillas for their new guest Sinestro. He was interested in them, and it turned out that his home planet ate food magnitudes more spicy, so he quite enjoyed it.

"I think I shall be staying on Earth a while." He announced. "All sectors are different. If I am to teach you to be a better Lantern, I must take in as much of the local flavor as possible."

"What did you think of my daughter?" Jim asked.

Sinestro considered. "There is room for improvement." He said.

"I think I did alright." Barbara said. "I could have handled it without your help."

Sinestro put down his spoon, and examined a fork. "Like I said; there is room for much improvement."

"Oh come on." She huffed. "I didn't do that badly did I?"

"You overcompensated far too much." Sinestro said. "Simply extending a muzzle onto the nozzle of his gun would have been sufficient."

"It would have blown him sky high, as well as the roof he was standing on!" Barbara said.

"He seemed perfectly insulated to me." Sinestro said. "There's always the chance of death, but odds are that he would not have died. Whereas the stunt you pulled with the fire extinguishers cost you visibility and maneuverability, and could have resulted in the death of the girl on the roof."

"But it was so cool!"

Sinestro glanced down at the young Jim Gordon. Ever since Barbara's mother died, he'd been staying with his father. "Coolness hardly factors into justice." He said.

"Actually, it does." Barbara said. "It's why superheroes and supervillains wear costumes; a psychological effect. There are two routes to go in this business; you can undersell yourself, make people believe you're harmless, and take them out in the millisecond while they blink, or you can oversell yourself, wear your costume proudly and theatrically, and make the bad guys fear and respect you."

Sinestro looked at her quizzically at this last comment.

"And when people think less of you, they think they're defeat at your hands was just a fluke. They come back for more, determined to show the underwhelming hero who's boss. While if you build yourself up to monumental standing and make it look easy to beat them, then they'll be discouraged from committing crime again."

"I suppose I may have underestimated you." Sinestro admitted, stroking his mustache. "However, the guardians did ask me to train you for a reason."

Barbara nodded. "I understand. But this is just how I do things. All Green Lanterns have a unique style, and trust me, in this city showmanship is everything."

* * *

The Outsider tapped his fingers against the oak table. There were six spots on the table, each one lit from above casting the villain's faces in shadow. Of course, it didn't hide much of his pale mishappen face. "I like it." He said. "Of course, I do like round things in general. But the lighting really sets the mood."

"Yeah yeah, it's all very nice." Firefly said. "But why all the drama?"

Clayface twirled out of the darkness dramatically. "Why Firefly, isn't drama its own reward?"

He seated himself. "I am putting on a production, the likes of which will shake the superhero genre to its core." He said. "It will be of Homeric proportions! It will make Citizen Kane look like Rambo! It will make Steven Spielberg look like Michael Bay! It will make people cry more than Toy Story 3!"

The wall behind him lit up, showing grey numbers counting down from five. When it reached zero, a black and white slideshow opened up. "Gentlemen." Clayface said. "I have spent the last month placing cameras all over Gotham City, in the most cinematic places possible. Along main street, and inside the police station, except for the S.C.U. where Green Lantern personally scans for bugs."

The slides moved forward to a picture of Green Lantern and the S.C.U. "The script will be as follows; a virtuous young girl and her small group of friends are aware of the rumors of danger, but are quite self-assured of their own safety. They will be even more assured, when a monster attacks and is fended off easily."

"I can guess who that monster is." A growling voice came from the back.

"Quite." The image then featured red circles around Crispus Allen, Renee Montoya, and Jason Bard. "We then go after these three. First, we will kill the group's token ethnic member. Firefly, you will handle that. Soon after, we will deal with the girl (who is probably promiscuous, though I haven't confirmed this yet). I will be the one to end her. And then, while I distract everybody else, Dr. Death will help Firefly kill the one who nobody will expect to die. Preferably, he will be killed after a particularly ironic comment on slasher movie clichés."

"I like this job already." Firefly said, as Dr. Death giggled menacingly in the background.

"Meanwhile, the first monster will have escaped custody, and the survivors will have to escape both monsters. In the end, exhaustion will set in. The entire S.C.U. will die, including Green Lantern." A picture of the S.C.U., except skeletons inhabited the clothes where they stood.

"A lovely plan." The Outsider said. "I just have two, simple questions. First, what is my role in all this, and Spellbinders?"

"I was just going to ask the same question." Spellbinder said.

"Second," The Outsider continued. "What is in it for us?"

"Your parts are simple." Clayface said. "Outsider, you have the best special effects on the market. I'll need you to set the mood. Can you turn Gotham, and specifically the homes of the S.C.U., into horror movie material?"

He grinned. "I can do anything."

"And Spellbinder, I'll need your help controlling the cast. I can hardly have my stars acting contrary. Especially Jason Bard; he has a talent for surviving."

Spellbinder stroked his head. "Well, I can't completely control anybody… but I suppose I could nod them in the right directions."

"As for how you benefit…" Clayface turned and flicked a light switch to the 'on' position. A spotlight lit up a large pile of money. "I recently came into a large sum of money. This will be your down payment. Split it as you wish, and transfer them into secure accounts. During production, of course, you will have the ability to take revenge on the S.C.U. and Green Lantern. Afterwards, you shall have the status of having participated in her demise, as well as the proceeds from the movie."

He watched their eyes light up with glee. "After all, in this town, showmanship is everything."

* * *

Sinestro stood watch over the city. Earth rotated very quickly. On his planet, this was barely morning. On this planet, everybody who should be in bed was.

Barbara Gordon flew below him. She made regular rounds of Gotham after dinner, rarely going to bed before one O'clock. In his opinion, humans were not suited for the duties of a Green Lantern. If only Abin Sur was still…

No. He wouldn't go there.

He watched as his charge wielded a katana against somebody calling himself 'The Rapier'. Try as he might, he couldn't help but find something admirable about her. She could have set up a prison around this clown, or blasted him with an energy beam. Instead, she met her opponent on his own terms, and bested him on his own terms.

Showmanship she'd said. He rather doubted it. From what she'd told him, she'd lived a life being underestimated, being both female and until recently small for a human. Sinestro considered the option that she couldn't help showing off to demand respect from the criminal element.

Regardless, she had… potential. Of a sort.

Abin Sur wouldn't have chosen her if she didn't.

He wondered what his brother would think of this. His killer had yet to be found. Six earth months later, and the Guardians would rather focus on training his relief than finding his murderer. But he'd find him. In brightest day, in blackest night, he won't escape Sinestro's light.

"Well, that wraps that up." Barbara said. Sinestro turned his attention back to her. The Rapier had been soundly defeated, and he was slung over Barbara's shoulder. "Let's drop him off at the police station."

Sinestro accompanied her in flight. "These late nights aren't doing you any good." He said.

"Well, the criminals usually come out at night." Barbara explained.

"Then you should sleep during the day."

"I have other things to do during the day."

"But are they more worthwhile than a good sleep?"

Barbara hesitated before answering. "Yes."

"I'll be the judge of that tomorrow." Sinestro said. "Green Lantern, since you have come into possession of the ring, have there been any unexplained alien activities on earth?"

"No." She said. "I'm quite the detective. Every alien encounter is accounted for, except for the ones down in Gotham underground."

"What is Gotham Underground?"

"I'll show it to you tomorrow." She said. "I…" She froze.

Sinestro quickly spun around. A orb of green light was hovering in mid-air above the roof of the police station. "Ring, identify." SInestro and Barbara said in unison.

[-SUBJECT: BOOM TUBE. USED AS INTERGALACTIC TRANSPORTATION BY RESIDENTS OF SCETOR 17. GREEN LANTERN CONSTRUCT BELONGING TO GREEN LANTERN JACK T. CHANCE.-]

"Oh no." Sinestro said. "Not him."

"Who's Jack T. Chance?" Barbara asked.

"Sector 17 is the most lawless sector in the galaxy." SInestro said. "Several Green Lanterns have died trying to tame it. Jack T. Chance is an experiment the Guardians have, trying to see if a criminal could be more effective in that sector. Surprisingly, he's making progress, though his methods are highly questionable."

And alien leaped out of the boom tube and landed on the roof. The Boom tube went back into his ring. The alien had blue skin, and long blue hair. Instead of a standard Green Lantern uniform, he wore a trench coat, and clothed that wouldn't be out of place in the old west. Much to Barbara's surprise, he wore a gun and several bandoliers.

"Hello planet earth!" He yelled. "The party has arrived! Yowza!"


	5. Look Out Behind You

**Chapter Five:**

**Look out behind you**

"So, who are you again?"

Jack T. Chance hung upside down over a lamp-post by a green rope. Barbara and Sinestro interrogating.

"Jack T. Chance is… well, he's the Guardian's equivalent of a wild card." Sinestro said. "His sector is the most… unruly. The polar opposite of mine, it belongs to conquerors like Darksied and is inhabited by the scum of the galaxy. Jack was one of the scum."

"Hey, I resemble that remark."

"His sector went through several honorable Lanterns. Until finally, one of them – like Abin Sur for you – chose his replacement for himself. And he chose one of the most unruly scum I've ever encountered."

"It's nice to see you too Sin ol' buddy."

"The Guardians allow him exemption from the usual Green Lantern code, because his methods are the only ones that work in such an unlawful sector. However, as a price for not following the code, he is not allowed to go to any other sector save his own, unless for high-priority cases. Which begs the question, why are you here now?"

"I got a hankering for earth grub." He shrugged. "I mean, yowza, do they ever know how to make a pizza. You don't get pizza like that on Apocolypse."

"Why did you attack us after you came through the boom tube?" Barbara asked.

"It's just how I say hello." Jack said. "Notice that I let you tie me up. So, are you going to let me go so I can explain why I'm here?"

Babs and Sinestro exchanged glances, and released him.

"Much obliged." He straightened out his jacket. "Alright, here's the skinny; I'm tracking some clown calls himself Reverend Good. If he's on earth, and I think he is, then there's something serious about to go down here. This planet could turn into a warzone overnight, and trust me you don't want that."

* * *

"So… these are my fellow Green Lanterns, Sinestro and Jack T. Chance."

Sinestro bowed, and Jack gave a Vulcan salute.

Barbara was introducing her fellow Green Lanterns to the S.C.U. Sinestro had declared her schoolwork irrelevant, and she came up with an excuse to temporarily skip university, so now she had all day to concentrate on other matters.

"Jack T. Chance is here on official business. He's investigating somebody called Reverend Good, a criminal from his sector of the universe. Sinestro is here to provide me with elite training."

Dent snorted. "You mean she needs a baby sitter."

Sinestro created some green goblins and the swarmed over Harvey. "You will address your superior officer with respect." Sinestro said. "If anybody in this room needs a babysitter, it's you. Sit at attention and don't speak unless you're spoken to."

The goblins cleared away, and Harvey Bullock's tie was done up properly, his morning shadow shaved off, and his hair combed.

Silence fell over the room. "Did you just make him uglier?" Jack asked.

Montoya snorted, and collapsed into a giggling fit.

"Fine. Whatever." Harvey stormed out. "You aliens want to run the show, fine. If you'll excuse me, I have to go do some real police work. After I fix myself up."

"Right." Barbara said as Harvey left. "Now that we've all gotten to know each other, Jason I want you to head up the Clayfase case. Hardback, I want you to help me and Jack with Reverend Good."

* * *

Harvey stormed into the bathroom and looked himself in the mirror. "Aliens." He scoffed. Then he tilted his head around to look at himself at an angle. "Hmmm… Although, I actually do look pretty good."

Something dripped on his shoulder. He groaned, and made a mental note to call maintenance before looking up.

A werewolf clung to the ceiling, claws digging into the walls, glaring at Harvey. "Hello Tony." Harvey said.

"Bullock." Anthony Lupus growled.

"So… here to kill me?"

"I'm here to kill someone." He said. "I'm not picky. I'm just glad it turned out to be you."

"Ah." Harvey nodded. "So you've found employment eh? Bump off one member of the G.S.C.U.?"

"That's right." Lupus said. "And that member is you." He dropped from the ceiling, landing with a thud on the floor in front of him. "Scream for me Harvey."

"In a pig's eye!" Lupus charged. Harvey ducked under his claws, delivering a devastating right hook to the werewolf's guts, then using his own momentum to carry him forward and into the stalls. He grabbed his head by the pointy wolf ears and slammed him into one of the toilets, flushing.

He climbed on top of him and yanked his head out of the toilet by the ears. "You were a jock right? Bet you did this to all the nerds in high school. Boy, this must be just bringing back memories."

He dunked his head back under and flushed again. Then yanked his head back out. "Alright, who do you work for, and where can I find him?"

Lupus choked. "Go jump off a bridge Bullock."

Another dunk into the drink. "I can keep this up all day." Harvey said. "The Mayor just passed a law waiving miranda rights for super-criminals. I know dogs are used to drinking out of the toilet, but if you talk I might be persuaded not to dab honey on your nose."

* * *

Jack T. Chance looked over Jason's shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"It's called detective work." Jason said. "I'm mapping Clayface's previous hide-outs, and cross-referencing them with the crimes."

"That's boring." Jack said. "You're boring. On my planet, detective work means breaking bones until somebody **[unable to translate]** and then **[unable to translate]** until the criminals **[unable to translate]**."

"Well, whatever you do on your planet, we don't do that in Gotham." Bard said, silently thanking the ring for not translating.

The door slammed open, and Harvey came in, dragging the werewolf's limp, wet body behind him. "Clayface is hiding out in warehouse thirteen at the north docks." He said. "I want Security down here to tell me how a freaking werewolf managed to get past them, and once he's in a holding cell he needs to have his stomach pumped. And that, my dear aliens, is how you do detective work in Gotham."

"Ooooh, I like him." Jack said, as Jason shook his head.

* * *

Two full S.W.A.T. teams were on sight in a manner of minutes. They didn't need them though. With three Green Lanterns, they were already outmatched.

"What do we do boss?" One of Clayface's lieutenants asked.

Clayface smiled behind his mask. "Well, since all of the main characters are in place, I'd say you extra get out there and get yourselves arrested."

"What?" The man blinked. "Sir… there are three Green Lanterns out there."

"I'll tell you what." Clayface drew the curtains shut and picked up his hammer. "I'll give you a choice. You can go out there with them… or you can stay in my office with me."

* * *

S.W.A.T. cleared the warehouse without any trouble, and gathered the hoodlums in the main clearance area.

Green Lantern scanned them all with her ring. "Clayface isn't here." She said.

"Snipers say they saw him in a window." Gordon said. "How did he manage to escape?"

"Doubtless Jason has an explanaition by now." Barbara said.

"Of course I do." Jason Bard turned up on the catwalks. "I found a trapdoor under the carpet in his office. I'd try to lead some dogs down there, but it leads directly to the sewers. The smell would put them right off the track. "

Barbara sighed. "Alright. I know you can wrap this up by yourself Jim. I'm taking my new partners to Gotham Underground."

* * *

Officer Gunther stood guard over the trapdoor. He suddenly heard a distinct tapping.

_Tap-tap. Tap-tap. Tap-tap. Tap-tap._

He readied his gun and pointed it down the trapdoor. The tapping was like the beating of a heart. Sweat ran down his face, as he pointed the gun at the trapdoor.

_Tap-tap. Tap-tap. Tap-tap. Tap-tap._

Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer and he yanked open the trapdoor.

It was empty.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Unaware of the wall opening silently behind him. Unaware of the silver hammer gleaming in the light, or the mask that made children cry.

Later, a body stripped to its underwear would be thrown down the trapdoor, and somebody new would stand guard in a police officer's uniform.


	6. Into the Great Below

**Chapter Six:**

**Into the Great Below**

Barbara's disguise involved a large pair of sunglasses that she thought were ridiculously gaudy. She wore a red coat like Carmen Sandiego a pair of black gloves, and a very tacky scarf. Red hair would've gone well with the ensemble, but it would've been too easy to connect her to Green Lantern then, so she wore a wig with red hair and black roots, so anybody who noticed would have thought she'd dyed her hair. The entire ensemble was bedecked by gaudy bling.

"Isn't a disguise supposed to not draw attention to yourself?" Sinestro asked. He was wearing a pinstriped suit, very popular with the gangs nowadays. He wore a hat to hide his enlarged head as well as a domino mask.

"Not in Gotham underground." She said. "The goal is to draw as much attention to yourself as possible. Just don't use your rings and you'll be fine."

"I like it." Jack smiled, flexing the metal glove Barbara gave him from one of the suits of armor hanging around the police station to hide his ring. His outfit was otherwise unchanged.

Barbara took a deep breath and plunged herself into her alternate personality. It was difficult to create an alter ego, her father had taught her. You had to be able to withdraw yourself from it at any time. It has to be a completely different person, yet not willing to cross the lines you would be uncomfortable crossing.

It was also difficult to break into criminal rackets with a false identity. Even if you had all of your paperwork in order, you had to be a friend of one of them, or have a friend who's a friend. In a world where there's no honor among thieves, they at least have to know each other and understand that the other person isn't a cop in disguise.

Barbara's persona was named Carmen Siskine. There were a group of criminals in Gotham called the Specialists; They were lead by the Crime Doctor, a man who failed medical school because his girlfriend stole his notes and was kicked out of the army for drug abuse. He found a place in the world of criminals, patching them up when they couldn't go to a hospital, due to wounds that would implicate them in crimes. The police only know about him because of the revenge he took on his ex-girlfriend; Martha Wayne.

But they couldn't find him without first finding the Bartender. The Bartender was the man who headquarters the Specialists. He tended to a bar at ground level of their headquarters, which was very popular with high-end criminals. And he somehow had access to any bar in Gotham. He could go anywhere, overhear secrets people only give away when they're drunk, and for the right price either give or withhold the information.

The third member of the Specialists was the Getaway Genius. The man was exactly what he claimed to be. He could make it rain yellow to clear the skies of Green Lanterns. He could fill a car with more gadgets than James Bond and he had every escape route in the city memorized.

Other members of the Specialists included Mole; a man who could make an elaborate tunnel anywhere where there wasn't a week before, and the Booker: who found abandoned factories and other thematic locales for the more colorful villains to put their feet up and plot. The Specialists garanteed any crime they came in contact with was a success.

And nobody could find them when they didn't want to be found.

Then Carmen Siskine took the scene. She introduced herself to Gotham's criminal residents by breaking three prominent gang leaders out of Blackgate prison. Of course, they were all returned in under a week by Green Lantern. When asked about her motives, she simply said she was a thrill seeking Russian, who'd heard that Gotham was the most dangerous city in the world and wanted in on the excitement.

She soon gained a reputation for being an expert thief, being able to get into and out of anywhere. She was hired for all manner of work, each job she undertook being undone as soon as possible without drawing attention. She even spoke Russian (thanks to the ring's translating power) to complete the effect.

The Specialists took notice of her and allowed her entrance into their team as a master of breaking people out of jail. Once there, she could monitor each of them, and counter every crime they committed. For every move they made, the police would show up and put an end to it. They actually became so much of a hindrance to the criminal underworld, that when the time came to arrest the Specialist, the police only arrested the Getaway Genius, the Booker, and the Mole when the time came. And with the complexity of the Specialist's minds, none of them even considered the fact that their troubles started when Carmen joined the team when compared to far grander coincidences and conspiracies.

And why was Green Lantern always showing up and undoing what Carmen did? Why, Carmen is her arch nemesis of course! She was the only person Green Lantern has never caught, and she explained that Green Lantern was a little bit obsessed with her. Carmen even dropped a few hints that she was 'into red-heads' to complete the effect.

She highly recommended being your own arch nemesis to every superhero. Once, she was even asked to join a 'Legion of Doom' composed of some of her enemies. That was the funniest job she'd ever been on. Of course, there were also complications. Like the time one of her contacts kidnapped Carmen and tried to give he to Green Lantern for clemency. Or the time when somebody actually thought that Green Lantern was in some sort of romance with Carmen and tried to play the King Kong card with her. Both situations were a fair amount of trouble getting out of.

She'd even accidentally convinced Killer Moth, the Kingpin of Crime in Gotham that she was his daughter. He was 'sure I got made out with some red-headed dame named Siskine' in College. This, naturally, made Barbara want to take down Killer Moth even more. But while she declined any relation to him, he still kept believing, and they kept in touch.

All in all, her secret identity was just about as useful as her ring. Maybe even more so.

"Are you boys ready?" She asked, now with a light and realistic Russian accent.

"You still haven't told us what Gotham Underground is." Sinestro said.

Carmen started strutting forward. "It's a place where only the most dangerous people can go, because only the most dangerous people can survive."

"Gotham is built on a fault line, and naturally earthquakes have happened. There's a stretch of land under Gotham where the buildings have sunken beneath the earth and Gotham was built over it. The section of lands is only the main part of Gotham underground of course. There are whole series of bat-filled caves and the sewer system is actually quite clean and wide enough to live in unless there's a flood. The underground has been taken over as a neutral land by so-called 'freaks'. And since birds of a feather flock together, it's become a trading post for illegal aliens as well."

"That's disgusting." Sinestro said. "Why have you not demolished the place yet?"

"Demolished?" Barbara scoffed. "I've put one of my enemies in charge of the place."

"What!" Sinestro asked. "Why?" He was baffled at the idiocy of this.

"Because." Barbara said. "Some of the 'freaks' down there are only down there to avoid persecution up here. And Gotham Underground is the first outpost for aliens, no matter how illegal. This could be the first step in Terran Alien relations, which in turn would lead to the unionization of earth."

"You expect a den of squalor and scum to be useful in the future?" Sinstro asked.

"Everything is useful." Carmen explained. "It's why I go to university. Correction; went to university." She lowered her sunglasses and fixed Sinestro with a glare.

"It was for your own good." Sinestro said. "Likewise, I doubt this 'Gotham Underground' is a good idea either. Especially with a criminal heading the operation."

"She was only a criminal because she wanted to be noticed and taken seriously. Now she is. Besides, it's a place where aliens gather for convenience. You two are looking for aliens. If it weren't for Gotham Underground, we wouldn't know where to look, and the Mayor and Sheriff are friends. At the moment, it seems pretty useful."

The three of them went into an alley and approached a beefy looking man with a glaring face. "Hey Carmen." The man said. Sinestro was slightly taken aback that the man's lips didn't move.

"Hey Jojo. I got something for my favorite gorilla." Carmen pulled a pair of banana's out of her pocket.

The beefy man pulled his mask off, revealing the face of a gorilla. "Awe, that's sweet of you Carmen." He shifted his hand out of his show and used it to lift up the sewer grate. "Go right on down, and stay outta trouble."

Carmen looked back at the other two with a wink, before jumping straight down the hole. Sinestro peered down the edge and sniffed. "This is the sewer? Where people dispose of their waste? And we're going down?"

"Yep." Jack gave him a small shove, and listened happily to Sinestro's yell. "Nice meeting you Jojo." He said, before jumping down himself.

Sinestro had to focus not to use his ring to fly down. Doubtless there would be a guard at the bottom too, and he could not blow his cover. He twisted around in midair and tried to grab onto something.

His efforts proved unnecessary. There was a crude gramowheel at the bottom of the shaft. A child's plaything on the planet of Caramar, their equivalent of a trampoline. It slowed him to a stop at the bottom and gently shifted him to the side where Green Lantern Barbara was adjusting her scarf.

"Why didn't you warn us!" He roared.

Carmen smirked and nodded her head towards Sinestro. "First time." She said. The midget sitting on top of the gattling gun to the side laughed.

Sinestro realized that Barbara felt she had to maintain her cover. And her cover was the type of person who would let her companions fall without knowing how to land just for 'kicks'.

He gritted his teeth as Jack landed behind him. "Carmen." He said dangerously. "I hope you plan on warning us the next time something unexpected is about to happen."

Carmen sidled up to him and patted him on the head. "Things are about to get strange." She said, sarcastically sweet.

The tunnels were decorated with neons lights and posters advertising various attractions in Gotham Underground. As they emerged from the tunnel, the neon light of the underground lit them up and Jack's smiled went wide.

"Now remember." Sinestro said. "We are looking for three criminals. First priority to Atrocitus. Then, Reverend Good, then Clay –" He stopped. Both Jack and Barbara were gone.

Sinestro sighed. It was times like these when he wondered why Abin Sur had chosen a human. She was so concerned with little, inconsequential things. She was more concerned with her home city than her home sector. She scurried around like a grabble, trying to fix every problem she could before she ran out of sleeping time.

She was so busy fixing each problem, individually, by hand, that she hadn't even considered the possibility of fixing them all at once in one fell swoop.

He looked at this den of squalor. A shelter for refugees of the universe. If he had the universe in his grasp, then this wouldn't be a problem. There would be no refugees. It would be a peaceful utopia.

But then…

She had taken steps to improve it. Instead of wiping this miserable mud stain off the map, she had place a leader on the throne so she could control its movements. Her methods were unorthodox… but perhaps Abin Sur saw this? Perhaps his replacement was selected because he knew what Sinestro was planning, and he wanted somebody willing to utilize alternate methods of protecting?

Well, he'd better find his comrades.

He found Jack T. Chance looking at the guns on sale. Barbara was at a nearby auction, bidding on a giant suit of mechanical armor, forged by somebody called Hephaestus. She didn't need to explain to him that it was essential to take the armor off the market, but she did need to explain why she was smoking.

"These are Thanagarian cigarettes." She said. "I've had the science behind them carefully looked at. They're not harmful to humans, and not even addicting. I only smoke them undercover."

Sinestro was uneasy about it, but he let her continue and she managed to out-bid her opponent; a man dressed in some strange grab.

"Well, I suppose it should come as no surprise." The man said. "That Ms. Siskine is the one who stole this priceless magical artifact away from me."

"Not me, I'm just working for another client." Carmen smiled sardonically.

"Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to disappoint him." Sinestro was shoved out of the way, and a large reptilian man laid a hand on her.

Barbara looked up and saw Killer Croc hissing at her. She smiled. She'd always had fun beating on Croc, ever since her first team up with Blackbird where Blackbird gave him that scar before he mutated protective scales.

"You know, you'd think you'd know better." She said with a smile.

A green blur came out of nowhere, and for a moment Sinestro thought that Carmen had used her ring and blown her cover. The Killer Croc collapsed, and a young woman wearing a green Kimono retrieved her basket from where she dropped it in order to defeat Killer Croc in one blow.

"Thank you Sakura." Barabara bowed to the woman, then turned back to the man she out-bid. "I have friends everywhere Felix. And they would be displeased if a second rate sorcerer thought he could get the better of me."

Felix gritted his teeth, then something else caught his eye. "This isn't over." He said, and resumed auctioning, this time for a silver bell.

The woman who rescued her brushed her hair back and adjusted a lily. "Are you well Carmen?"

"I could have handled myself on my own, but much thanks Sakura." Barbara bowed. "Is Sensei well?"

"He is well enough to receive you." Sakura said, and she left. Barbara followed, guiding Sinestro and Jack through the streets.

"Sensei is the sheriff of Gotham Underground." Barbara said. "He will know if there have been any newcomers. And he knows about my disguise, so you can relax around him."

The undergound's police headquarters was a shamble of a building. It looked like it was held up by duct tape and sheer willpower. Compared to Oa where the Guardians managed to direct the safety of the universe… well, he supposed it took a hole in the ground to police a hole in the ground.

They went in through the back door, and went up the rickety stairs to the dojo. It was a well built place, despite its look on the outside. The dojo was well furbished, with carpets and training equipment. The Sensei was sitting at the front of the room, legs folded in meditation. Sinestro had assumed that Sensei would be different, like the other occupants of Gotham Underground, but he had not expected a tired looking old man who was missing his arms.

"Ah, welcome back to my Dojo, Ms. Gordon." The old man stood, and the pair bowed to each other.

"Sensei, allow me to introduce my companions." She gestured to Sinestro and Jack. "This is Green Lantern Sinestro, and Green Lantern Chance. Fellow Lanterns, this is Sensei Shien. The Armless Master."

Shien bowed. Jack returned the bow, albeit somewhat sarcastically. But Sinestro did not. He was not in the habit of bowing to those he did not deem worthy. Although, he knew Barbara deemed him so because she had deigned to reveal their identities.

Sakura hissed her disapproval, but silenced herself at some invisible signal from Shien. "What brings you and your company to my dojo?"

"We are looking for three criminals." Barbara said, displaying the three on her ring.

The Armless Master observed them. "Clayface, is not hiding down here. I would know if he was. I know the reverend however. He is most unsavory. His cult is bringing innocents under his thrall. And the big one… there is rumor of an alien with his qualities aligning himself with the Intergang."

Barbara looked crestfallen. Sinestro looked determined. "Very well. The three of us shall go immediately and apprehend him."

"I too shall go." The Armless Master said.

"No." Sinestro said. "You'll only slow us down."

"I am the sheriff." Shien replied. "And this is my city. I shall accompany you."

"No." Sinestro said. "We have higher authority, and we have the greater firepower. You would be a hindrance more than a help."

"Do you think we should get popcorn?" Jack whispered to Barbara. Barbara would have spoken up to defend him, but she knew Sensei could take care of himself.

"Tell me." The Sensei said. "What can your ring do, that I cannot do?"

Sinestro immediately created a sword and sliced one of the bricks in the room. "For starters, that."

"Ah, but that I can also do." The Armless Master leaped forward, and brought his heel down. The brick fell neatly in two.

"Can you travel across the galaxies?"

"I do not need to. But if I did, I could always steal your ring."

"Hah!" Sinestro laughed. "I am the greatest Green Lantern..."

The Armless Master merely extended his leg. In the palm of his foot, a Green Lantern ring rested.

Jack roared with laughter as Sinestro wildly scrambled to feel his finger.

"Those with great power, must always beware not to lose it." Sensei tossed the ring back at Sinestro. "Save for those whose power lies in knowledge. And I know. More than you do, I begin to suspect. Now, let us be off."

"Uniforms on." Barbara said, activating her ring to store her disguise in pocket space and bring out her costume. The other two Green Lanterns followed suit.

"I know one thing this ring can do that you can't." Sinestro said, uncomfortable with the idea of losing. "I can use it to fly."

The Armless Master simply smiled. "You can fly, but can you soar?" And he leaped out of the window.


End file.
